Post-hole digger.



J. A. SENZ.

POST HOLE DIGGER.

APPLICATION man JULY 6.1917.

1,286,805. Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Q f FNVENTOR g (fuse MA. S e nz WITNESSES N W l ATTO RN EY JOSEPH A. SENZ, or scro, onne01v.'

POST-HOLE BIGGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. SENz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scio, in the county of Linn and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Hole Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved post hole digger and'the principal object of the invention is to provide a post'hole digger, so constructed that it may be mounted upon a wagon body and to further so construct the digger that a turn-table forming part thereof may be pivotally mounted for side swing with the earth'engaging auger positioned beyond the wagon body. a

Another object of the invention is to pro- .-vide an improved device for rotatably and 'slidably-mounting the auger, and to further provide improved means for rotating the auger and also to provide improved means for suspending the auger in an elevated positlon. Y 1 I Another object of the invention is to provide an 'improyed standard for rotatably mounting the auger, the standard being so constructed that it may be securely connected with the turn-table, an engine for driving. the augur being mounted upon the opposite end portionof the turn-table to constitute a counter-balance for the weight of this bear.

l inother object of theinvention is to provide an improved post hole digger so constructed that it may be mounted upon'a con ventional form of wagon body and held against longitudinal sliding movement by the usual stakes of the forward and reartrucks.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the improved post hole digging machine in side elevation, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the base to be mounted upon the wagon body,

Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the turn table, and, a Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken valong the line 44 of Fig. 1 v I This machine is provided with a base for fitting up'onthe wagon body. the base being provided with side bars 10 connected by cross bars '11 adjacent the ends and by a cen ter cross bar 12, the end cross bars being ro tected by strips 13 of sheet metal. v This ase fits upon the forward and rear bolsters of the wagon and is held against longitudinal Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application filed July 6, 1917. Serial No. 178,968.

v movement by the cleats 14, between which the usual stake will pass.

The platform. or turn-table 15 is positioned above the base and is provided with a socket 16 through which passes the upper portion of the standard or pivot pin 17.

This standard has its base 18 secured to the center cross bar 12 and is provided intermediate its height with a collar 19 serving to limit'downward movement of the turn-table upon the standard. I v

Casters or rollers 20 are secured'to the end portions of the turn-table and will rest upon the tracks or plates 13, the plates not only protecting the base from wear but also per- 'mitting the turn-table to be moved easily.

In. order to permit the auger21 to. be rotatably and slidablymounted. there has been provided a casting or hearing block 22 seoured to the turn-table by fasteners passing through the seat 23 and provided with bearing arms 25, 26 and 27 through which extends the stafi or shank 28 of the auger. This shank 28 is provided with a head 29 p0- sitioned in the yoke or collar 30 wh ch collar is engaged by the line or cable 31. This cable 31 passesabout the pulley 32 mounted in the upper portion of the frame or derrick 33 and after being passed about this pulley 32 is passed about the pulley 34 and then' wound upon the drum 35. This drum is rotatably mounted between the standards 36 and has its axles 37 extended beyond one of.

the standards so that the drum may be ro- .tated through the medium vof the crank handle 38, when it is desired to wind or un wind the cable and vertically adjust the auger.

A gear 39 is mounted between the bearings 26 and 27 upon the shank 28 of the auger and is provided with a key fitting into the groove or key-way 40 so that when this gear is rotated through the medium of the gear 41, the auger will be rotated and thus the post hole formed. This gear 41 is mounted upon a driving shaft 42 passing through the bearing bracket or arm 43 extending from the casting 22 and carries a pulley 44 about which a belt 45 will pass, the belt being also passed about a pulley mounted upon the shaft 46 of the engine 47. This engine 47 is mounted upon the turn-table or platform upon the opposite end ortion from the casting or block 22, and Will thus serve not only as means for driving the operating mechanism but will further serve as a counter-balance for the weight of this block. It will be understood that when in use, the machine will be put in place upon the wagon bed and the wagon Wlll then be drawn across a field along the line where the fence is to be built. At stated points, the machine will be stopped and the drum can then'be rotated to unwind the cable and permit the auger to engage the ground at the point where engine can then be started and the auger will be rotated thus boring a hole into the ground. The weight of the auger will be suflicient to carry it into the ground as the earth is cut and it will thus be not necessary to provide other means for feeding the auger. 'After the post hole has been dug the desired depth, the cable can be wound upon the drum and the auger will be drawn upwardly, The engine will be left running while drawing the auger upwardly so that as the auger is drawn out of the post hole, the earth about the auger within the hole will be'drawn out with the auger. It might happen that the wagon would be jorought to a stop with the auger a little to one side of where the post hole should be dug and in order to permit the auger to be brought to the proper point without moving the wagon transversely, the turn-table has been pivotally mounted as already described. If it is to swing the auger to one side or the other,

the latch actuating hand grip 48 of the lever 49 will -be grasped and pressed thus drawing the latching rod 50 upwardly out of the opening of the plate 51 or rack. This rack' plate 51 is provided with a plurality of openings as shown in Fig. 2 and it will thus be seen that when the latch is raised against the tension of the spring 52, the platform or turn-table can be swung to bring the auger to the proper point and the latch then permitted to move downwardly and enter one of the openings of the rack plate thus releasably holding the turn-table in the adjusted position.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. A post hole digging machine comprising a base including side standards, adapted to be supported on a vehicle body, cleats carried by said standards for engagement with the end stakes of said body to prevent slid ing movement of the standards, cross bars the opening is to be dug- The connecting said standards adjacent the ends thereof, a third cross bar connecting said standards intermediate said first mentioned cross bars, a pivot standard extending upwardly. from said'last mentioned cross bar and provided adjacent its upper end with a supporting collar, a turn-table provided with a central opening to receive said standard and adapted to rest upon said collar, rollers carried by the ends of said turn-table and resting upon the cross bars cross bars, a sliding latch carried by said table and engageable' with the openings in said arcuate plate to hold the table at various angles with respect to said base, and an auger carried by said table and means mounted on the table for imparting rotary movement 'to said auger.

3. A post hole digging machine comprising a base including side standards anarcuate plate connecting said standards adjacent one end thereof and provided with a plurality of openings, an auger carrying turn-table supported on said base, avertically movable spring latch carried by said table and adaptedto have its lower end engaged'in a selected opening in said plate, a pi'votallv supported bell crank lever having one arm thereof connected to theupper endof said latch, a rod connected to the opposite arm of said bell crank, and a pivoted hand grip connected with said rod to im-v part slldmg movement thereto to raise the 

